Despite the fact that we railfans love to see a really smoky display from a steam loco, the railroads saw that as money out the stack. Some were known to mount a headlight behind the stack so the fireman could see the smoke at night. A clean stack was a must if the man was around, if at all possible.
Having roped you in - there is another place you don’t want to see smoke - in your house. Each fall, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, a well-known battery company, and many local fire departments sponsor a program called “Change your Clock - Change your Battery.”
Well, it’s not fall, but you should think about the last time you did change the battery(s), and when you last tested your smoke detector.
So, when you get done changing all of the clocks you missed last night, and get over having been late for whatever you missed because you forgot to change your clocks, check that smoke detector (and your CO detector if you have one) and ensure that piece of mind.
Those of us who live with the weirdos (just kidding!) in Eastern Indiana don’t change our clocks. We’re now with Central time. (That means Star Trek comes on an hour earlier.)
Yes, here in Indiana the Legislator’s kick that subject around each year of going on DST, etc…but it remains the same…no change. Agree, change the battery.
Thanks for the reminder. We always check our fire alarm batteries on a regular basis. And another way to see if they are still working, is to stick my mom in the kitchen and make her cook. [dinner] Just kidding!!![(-D][:-,]
There is a new theory on the transmission of electricity. It is based on the observation that electrical devices cease to function after smoke is released from them. Therefore electricity must transmitted by smoke in the wires and not by electrons as commonly believed.
You folks back there in the land of green and humidity don’t have to take the vacuum cleaner hose to the sensors and the casings along with the battery game?
If you have the smoke alarms, consider getting a CO2 alarm before this fall! If you have neither, stop what you’re doing and GET THEM INSTALLED.! Change batteries here too!~
Willy - Your mom’s eyebrows just registered a 6.0 on the richter scale. You gotta good reason why you flirt with disaster like that? (b.t.w. :RR slang for a company cook on an outfit car is “lizzard scorcher”, use that at home and we’ll be administering last rites)
MC - good point on the vacuum. It’s a factor easy to overlook, especially if you have a dusty environment.
In NY, smoke detectors are the law in multi-family dwellings and when you sell/buy a house. No matter, the fact is that smoke detectors save lives.
CO detectors are indeed important if you have any sort of combustion going on in the house (oil or gas heat, gas water heater, gas stove, attached garage, etc). Very few homes don’t have at least one of those.
The cost of either is minimal (I’ve seen smoke detectors under $10). You can’t afford to be without them.
I checked all my smoke detectors (3) and set clocks - (16) - even the one in the bathroom ( and we only have about 1200 square feet of living space. But we always know what time it is!
Don’t worry. All is well with my Mom. I told her that I had posted that after I put it on the forum, but she just laughed and admitted that sometimes her cooking may not be the greatest. She did remind of a song that we have heard before. The lyrics go like this:
“And when I cook him dinner and I burn it black, he better say ‘ummmmm, I like it like that!’” The song is by Shania Twain and I must admit that it is a pretty good song! lol!
I’m an Electrician, so trust me when I say “It won’t arc THAT far!”, and for those of you who have “hard wired” smoke detectors, throw them in the trash and go buy some that have a “battery back-up”, because when your house catches on fire, the wiring melts, and short circuits, tripping the breaker(sometimes the MAIN breaker), when that happens, you are up the creek without a paddle if there isn’t a battery supplying electricity to your detectors!! stay safe and change your batteries in smoke detectors every 6 months… whether it needs it or not! Batteries are cheaper than medical bills, or worse yet, a funeral!